Lahore Metro Bus System – A Modern Facility or Waste of Public Money

The Lahore Metro Bus system is no doubt a very beautiful addition in the fanfare of Lahore. It is no doubt an expensive project involving millions of dollars and there are many critics who are labeling it as a non-productive project and according to them many more universities could have been established or the solution to loadshedding could have been found or many new road networks could have been laid. The criticism is right in its place but one positive aspect is that Lahorites can see something being done and completed before their very eyes, atleast something has been done which is of international standards. What the PPP government has done in its five years regime except snatching the morsel of bread from the already starving nation. The shallow slogans of Roti, Kapra and Makan have died and even the clothes of the poor are being stripped what to talk about Makaan.

Now about the Lahore Metro Bus System.This system has 27 kilometers long road track which starts from Gajumata and ends at Shahdara. In its length the 8.5 kilometers track is elevated. Travel time is approximately one hour. There are total 29 bus stations. The e-ticketing and intelligent system of transportation have been introduced and the computerized processes are being handled by the Punjab IT Board. Lahore Transport company has specified two corridors on which the bus system will operate. One is Ferozpur Road part extending over 28 Kilometers and there is Multan Road part extending about 12 kilometers. It is BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) project of Government of Punjab. The cost is round about 29.8 Billion Pak rupees. There are about 115 vehicles operating in this project.

Turkish government has extended its cooperation in making this project successful. The Metro Bus System was Inaugurated on February 10, 2013. In the inauguration ceremony the Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, Bakir Bozdage and CM Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif were the key figures besides many foreign dignitaries. The inauguration was a proud and pompous event especially for Mian Shahbaz Sharif and PML-N.